BS: I'm off prilosec after years!

Subject: BS: I'm off prilosec after years!
From: robomatic
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 01:11 PM

Okay, never started no health & wellness thread, the only reason I'm doing it is 'cause I have it in my head that tons of folks are on proton pump inhibitors since they are stacked yea high at the Costco, don't ya know.
And maybe everyone else has been there done that so this little miz can drop off the bottom of the BS shelf and I can go back to humiliating myself more or less in private.
I used the name of a real money making medicine that has saved me pain in the past, making it lower case doesn't change it. I'm trusting the forum gods to know if that is legally okay and to change it out to 'Antacids' or 'proton pump inhibitors' should it be req'd.

About ten years ago my doc prescribed something called protonix. It is a proton pump inhibitor. It shuts off the acid making cells that make the stomach contents, well, acid. I was up at nights with severe acid indigestion.

About eight years ago I shifted from prescription meds to prilosec and Costco's less expensive alternative omeprazole. I understand a high proportion of the population is on this stuff, which works like a charm, BUT:

It bothered me that the individual packages are for two week increments of the drug and the small print indicates you are not supposed to be on it indefinitely although the unwritten understanding is so many folks are (on it indefinitely).

It bothered me that the stomach has acid in it for a reason and the drug relieves one of pain by sustaining an unnatural condition in the body.

It bothered me that when I missed taking it for a couple of days, the re-onset of the symptoms were really painful, the sharp pains that resulted felt ANGRY. I don't get scared often but this felt scary.

It bothered me that missing doses and re-initiating doses could give me sharp chest pains.

Then I read on the web, which is full of useful often truthful information, that people could escape a lot of these symptoms without the drug, but by eating an apple or chewing almonds at the end of the last meal of the day.

I tried it with apples, and stopped cold turkey on the omeprazole/ prilosec.

Discomfort was minimal, I'm off the meds, and back to the original symptoms, which I'm going to try to live with.

I'm curious how many other folks are on this or have tried to wean themselves off, and as usual, the wise ones who scoped this long ago and have valuable experience to offer.

Subject: RE: BS: I'm off prilosec after years!
From: gnu
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 01:14 PM

Holy crap!

Good news, too!

Subject: RE: BS: I'm off prilosec after years!
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 01:19 PM

I have been on Omeprazole for years, and at present I am om a diet. Once I lose a fair bit of weight, I also intend to try to drop these meds. I was intending to do it, just by avoiding the foods I know cause indigestionin my case. if that fails, then it's almonds for me.
Thanks for the valuable post.

JM

Subject: RE: BS: I'm off prilosec after years!
From: CarolC
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 02:21 PM

I've never been on those meds, although if I didn't take digestive enzymes, I probably would be (if I could afford to see a doctor).

For fatty or oily foods, I eat a piece of dried papaya (about 3/4" x 3/4"). For hard to digest proteins (legumes, eggs, nuts, etc), I use digestive enzymes that I get from a store that sells vitamins and things like that. They need to have things like betaine hydrochloride, pepsin, bromelain, papain, ox bile extract, pancreatin, amylase, protease, and lipase. I never take a whole tablet. I only take about a quarter of a tablet at a time (otherwise, it would really hurt my stomach).

This system works like a charm, and it works by correcting the problem that causes the excess acid rather than suppressing the production of acid. If I didn't do this, I would be in constant agonizing stomach and esophageal pain, and there would be precious few protein foods I could eat.

I have no idea which of the above would work best on meat products because I don't eat meat, but I expect a little bit of experimentation would provide the answer.

Subject: RE: BS: I'm off prilosec after years!
From: CarolC
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 02:24 PM

I need to correct one thing I said above. Most of the time, the papaya is enough to take when I eat eggs. The tablets usually aren't needed for them.

Subject: RE: BS: I'm off prilosec after years!
From: Ebbie
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 03:38 PM

For several years up until last year I had occasional attacks of painful bloating - so bad sometimes that I walked on tiptoe- that lasted six or more hours.

My first attack occurred after I had a vegetarian sandwich and a diet coke and had another one some time later that also involved a soda. I decided that it was the soda- so for several years I drank nothing with carbonation in it, even beer.

I had no further attacks for a year or more, so I thought the regimen was working. Then I had another attack- and a friend advised papaya capsules. I took two of them occasionally and I had no further attacks.

Then I had an attack that didn't end and I wound up in the ER, where it was was discovered that I had an internal hernia and a strangulated intestine. Had the surgery- no more attacks.

It's been going on two years that I'm pain free so I think...

Subject: RE: BS: I'm off prilosec after years!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 04:24 PM

Amazing the medicines that are "intended" for temporary use that we find ourselves on for years. I'm in the process of weaning myself from an HRT combination medication I was using. My last Rx was refused from the mail order pharmacy; it turns out that the FDA is starting to clamp down on drug companies putting out medications for uses they weren't tested for. Mine is one of those. I'd been planning to change meds anyway, but this was the factor than made the time be now.

I hit a wall when I tried to simply stop taking it. I was buying a full strength dose that I cut in half (to save money) and dropping it felt bad, something I hadn't expected. It was an exhausting and frustrating experience. I've cut my dose in half and just this week I'm stretching it out (the 1/4 tablet) from every 24-hours to 36; I don't want to try cutting the pill any more, so I'll stretch out the time instead, and have a chart. I expect that after another three weeks I'll be down to 1/4 every 48 hours, and from there, I'll see how it goes.

The fact that this is occurring is troubling. I take HRT to prevent osteoporosis (my mom had it) but I want as low a dose of estrogen as possible because she died of breast cancer. I'm going to be looking into alternate methods (non Rx herbal, and dietary approaches) to retain calcium. Some of those drugs for retaining or building calcium do more harm than good.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: I'm off prilosec after years!
From: CarolC
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 04:28 PM

One option for people who are either not going on HRT or who are going off HRT is hormone creams. There are estrogen creams, progesterone creams, and estrogen/progesterone creams. They're quite effective, they use only naturally occurring hormones (no synthetic hormones) and have no side effects when used properly. I've been using them for years with very good results.

Subject: RE: BS: I'm off prilosec after years!
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 04:37 PM

Patches?

Subject: RE: BS: I'm off prilosec after years!
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 05:22 PM

Nothing like a good bowl of chili con carne to cure all ills.

Alendronate, taken orally according to prescription, so far seems the best treatment for osteoporosis. Bone density tests periodically show if there is improvement.
HRT should be under the observations of an endocrinologist.

Subject: RE: BS: I'm off prilosec after years!
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 07:33 PM

Getting off prilosec is an amazing accomplishment because the body's reponse is to ry and increase stoach acid to combat the effect of the drug which is to minimize acid production.

When the drug is removed WWWAAAYYY too much acid production results.


My best preventative to acid reflux or heart burn is a low oil
Pop Corn serving. It soaks as well as act like a bottle stopper for the stomach.

Subject: RE: BS: I'm off prilosec after years!
From: CarolC
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 09:48 PM

Here in the US, many people don't have access to an endocrinologist.

Subject: RE: BS: I'm off prilosec after years!
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 09:57 PM

I hink I have sicky sof drink in my keyboard.

Many common foods are powerfully good medicines.
Big Pharma rarely comes close to the sefety and effectiveness to these foods.
I'd like a commendium of such foods.

Subject: RE: BS: I'm off prilosec after years!
From: bubblyrat
Date: 28 Sep 09 - 04:34 AM

It's very easy to get used to taking one particular drug for a long period without thinking of the consequences,which in some cases could be addiction.About 12 years ago ,I went into hospital in Poole, England,to "dry out" (Alcoholism);on being told to empty my pockets (you have to give them ANYTHING ,ie Ibuprufen,Codeine,Paracetomol,Contraceptive Pills,etc,as the "junkies" will steal them,mix them with water,and inject them or so I was told !!),I handed over a bottle containing some 5 mg Librium capsules.
          The nurse was HORRIFIED ! "How long have you been on Librium?" she said.
          "Oh,about twenty years ", I replied.
          " My God !" she exclaimed-" You've been drinking AND taking Librium as well for twenty years ?"
      "Yes" I replied,starting to feel that maybe this was not necessarily what she wanted to hear.
          Anyway,she sent for a doctor:he ,too,went ballistic,and eventually they took me off to a ward where,I was told,I would be subjected to a ten-day "detox" regimen,aided by a reducing dosage of 6 X 10 mg capsules per day of........Librium !!!.
       However ,I made good progress in the end,and they let me out after only two weeks. But the Head Honcho of the hospital wrote to my doctor,the consequences of which being that no doctor will ever again allow me to have Librium,Valium,Mogadon,Prozac,Mono-amine oxydase inhibitors ( Nardil, Marplan etc),or Barbiturates ! Luckily, I have no need of these any more ( I have had them all !) But I'm sure there's a warning in this story for SOMEONE out there !!

Subject: RE: BS: I'm off prilosec after years!
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 28 Sep 09 - 05:04 AM

Well, if one can become addicted to common, over-the-counter painkillers, [aspirin,paracetamol, etc.] then addiction to ANY medication is no surprise to me.
Just think, as I did recently, about the amount one drinks. When I was young, a dram of whisky and a pint of beer, was sufficient to make me quite tiddly. Now I can drink 3 or 4 times that amount, and still function fairly normally.
This is why I am on one of my periodic 'dry outs', having had 4 glasses of wine in the last 4 weeks. I intend to keep this up until my birthday in 2 weeks time. I think that my body needs to de-tox every so often, and my next lay-off will be January for at least 4 weeks, and hopefully longer.

Cheers

JM